Traffic signal



June 24, 1941. E. J. SHERIDAN TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed May 7, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 e of A itomey Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRAFFIC SIGNAL Everett J. Sheridan, Jackson Heights, N. Y.

Application May 7, 1940, Serial No. 333,833

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in traflic signal housings, of a type employed at street intersections, and has for its primary object to provide a cover for the lens of the housing which projects outwardly from the housing and is provided with window openings at its front and at each side thereof whereby to enable motorists or pedestrians to observe the signal when approaching in a direction in front of the signal or from either side thereof. Another object is to provide side windows in the signal housing for the go or green signal lamp,

. so that said green signal may be observed from each side as well as from the front and thus indicate to motorists approaching from the side that the cross signal is green, and serving as a warning to the motorist should his stop or red signal lamp be burned out, that cross traffic has the right-of-way.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a cover plate or frame for the lens of the signal of distinctive shape and appearance whereby to enable motorists and pedestrians to more readily distinguish between the red and green lights of the signal device.

A still further object is to provide a device of this character of simple and practical construction, which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and adapted formounting on a conventional type of signal housing without necessitating any material changes or alterations in the construction thereof and which at the same time is efficient in its performance and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure l is a front elevational view of a traffic signal housing embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the cover plate or lens supporting frame for signal, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially on a line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a traffic signal housing of conventional construction, which is preferably of square shape in cross section and provided at each of its four sides with the signalling lenses 6,

a pair of said lenses being usually provided on each side of the housing, one of the lenses being of red color while the other of said lenses is green in color.

As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the lowermost lens is removed from the opening I behind which the lamp 8 is positioned and secured to the housing and enclosing said opening is a cover plate designated at 9 formed with an outwardly spaced front wall II] which is of generally rounded convexed formation at its lower portion, as shown at H, and terminating in a box-like frame I2 at its upper portion and having a horizontally extending rectangular opening [3 in its walls and vertically extending rectangular openings M in each of its side walls. The front wall It! thus forms a compartment [5 in front of the opening I of the signal housing which is illumi nated by the lamp 8.

Mounted in the openings l3 and I4 are colored glass windows 16 and [1, respectively, the window It being secured in position by a removable frame [8 and the window I'I being secured in position by a similar removable frame 19.

Positioned in the compartment I5 is a concavo-convex reflector 20 having a central opening 2| for receiving the lamp 8.

Since it is the usual practice in traffic signals to provide a green colored lens at the lower portion of the signal housing, the windows l6 and I1 are preferably colored green in accordancewith the usual practice, when the cover plates 9 are positioned at the lower portion of the hous- In view of the fact that the side windows ll project outwardly from the adjacent side of the signal housing, the cover plates 9 at the opposed sides of the housing are arranged with the Windows uppermost, while the cover plates at the remaining sides of the signal housing are arranged with the windows inverted as shown at 2|, in order that the side windows will not be obsoured by the outwardly projecting ends of the box-like portion I2 of the cover plates which project outwardly from opposite sides of the signal housing 5 as shown at 22.

It will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2 of the drawings that the chamber 5 within the cover plate is of suitable area to enable the illumination of the windows when the cover plate is secured in either position.

It is believed the details of construction, advantages and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. A trafiic signal comprising a signal housing having angular adjacent sides provided with individual stop and go signalling lenses and a supporting plate for one of the lenses at each side of the housing and including upper and lower portions, one of said portions being opaque and the other of said portions being of box-like construction having a front window opening and side window openings adapted for simultaneous illumination from a common lamp and a lens in each of said openings.

2. A trafilc signal comprising a signal housing having angular adjacent sides provided with individual stop and go signalling lenses and a supporting plate for one of the lenses at each side of the housing and including upper and lower portions, one of said portions being opaque and the other of said portions being of box-like construction having a front window opening and side window openings adapted for simultaneous illumination from a common lamp and a lens in each of said openings, said side window openings facing in the same direction as the lenses of the adjacent sides of the housing.

3; A trailic signal comprising a signal housing having angular adjacent sides provided with individual stop and go signalling lenses and a supporting plate for one of the lenses at each side-of the housing and including upper and lower portions, one of said portions being opaque and the other of said portions being of box-like construction having a front window opening and side windowv openings and a lens in each of said openlngs, said side window openings facing in the same direction as the lenses of the adjacent sides of the housing, and a lamp in the housing adapted to simultaneously illuminate the interior of said box-like construction behind said window openings.

4. A trafiic signal comprising a signal housing having angular adjacent sides provided with individual stop and go signalling lenses and a supporting plate for one of the lenses at each side of the housing and including upper and lower portions, one of said portions being opaque and the other of said portions being of box-like construction having a front window opening and side window openings and a lense in each of said openings, said side window openings facing in the same direction as the lenses of the adjacent sides of the housing, and a lamp in the housing adapted to simultaneously illuminate the interior of said box-like construction behind said window openings, said box-like construction at adjacent sides of the housing being ofiset horizontally.

5. A trafiic signal comprising a signal housing having angular sides provided with individual stop and go signalling lenses, a box-like structure at each side of the housing including a front wall in which one of said lenses is mounted and side walls also having lenses mounted therein, said lenses in the front and side walls of the box-like structure being adapted for simultaneous illumination and an attaching plate for said box-like structure arranged to secure the latter to the housing with the said structures at the respective sides of the housing disposed at different horizontal planes.

EVERETT J. SHERIDAN. 

